2 GHz Relocation Deadline Extended to March 5, 2008

By Doug Lung
published

Sprint Nextel Corp. has at least another 30 days, until March 5, 2008, to clear broadcasters from the 1990-2025 MHz of the old 2 GHz broadcast auxiliary services (BAS) band. Sprint’s obligation, under the terms to the 800 MHz Order, was to complete relocation of all BAS facilities in the band by Sept. 7, 2007.

In granting the latest extension, the commission noted that all interested parties are negotiating in good faith and that the additional time will allow it to consider a Joint Petition for Waiver filed by Sprint Nextel, NAB, the Association for Maximum Service Television, Inc. (MSTV), and the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) filed on Sept. 4, 2007 and a Consensus Plan filed by the same groups on Dec. 6, 2007.

“We take this action without expressing any judgment on the merits of the Joint Petition,” the FCC said.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.